Hitman: Blood Money is a stealth game developed by IO Interactive and published by Eidos Interactive. It is the fourth entry in the Hitman video game series. The PC demo was released on May 22, 2006. The game was released on May 26, 2006 in Europe and on May 30 in the United States.

The story follows the life of professional hitman agent 47, as narrated in cutscenes by a former director of the FBI to a journalist who is interviewing him at his home. The wheelchair-bound ex-director recounts how his agency tracked 47 over a two-year period. The tone of the Blood Money, in complete contrast with the dark and depressing mood of the previous game, is operatic and often veers into the larger-than-life, recalling elements of the 'world-traveller' grandeur of Hitman 2: Silent Assassin.

Gameplay:

The basics of Blood Money are similar to past entries in the series; each mission is framed around the killings of one or more individuals, which the player character (Agent 47) must accomplish. Standing between him and success are armed guards, security checkpoints and other obstacles. The player guides 47 through the game's levels with the help of a satellite map which can be queried at any time. The map indicates the layout of each topographical area of the level, the whereabouts of 47's main targets, and other CPU-controlled characters. In order to carry out his mission, 47 may use any method at his disposal to eliminate his targets, regardless of witnesses or excessive violence done to bystanders. Not only rewarding stealth over bloodshed as is traditional in the series, Blood Money includes features that directly penalize the player for making too much 'noise'.

Many new features were introduced to Hitman: Blood Money. These include the capability to climb through more obstacles, improved unarmed combat, the ability to use an NPC as a human shield, improved character animations (example - face, eyes, etc), a new game engine and the ability to upgrade weapons and equipment. However, only five of the featured weapons in the game, as well as assorted pieces of equipment such as bombs and armor, can be upgraded. Every level contains some sort of method to make the target's death look like an accident; for example, tampering with someone's grill to make it explode when they turn it on, to rigging a chandelier to fall on a target, or the target 'accidentally' falling off a balcony. There are also improvised weapons, like a nailgun or a pair of hedge clippers.

A gameplay feature new to the Hitman series was also added, the "Notoriety" system. If the player, during a mission, kills innocents or civilians, gets caught on CCTV or is witnessed committing murder, Agent 47's notoriety will rise. Conversely, if the player executes the mission perfectly with none of the aforementioned events occurring, 47's notoriety will be minimal. The higher Agent 47's notoriety is, the easier it will be for NPCs to identify him. Players may use the bribery system to negate accumulated notoriety. The notoriety system is not enabled in "Rookie" mode, which also allows unlimited saves and a lower level of general difficulty. Health boosts are available in the game, namely Painkillers and Adrenaline shots.

When each mission has been completed, a newspaper article is displayed regarding the hit, in which the content varies depending on the investigation results and the player's notoriety. Sketch drawings are also sometimes visible of Agent 47's face, which grow progressively more accurate as 47's notoriety grows. The article's title relates to the player's mission rating. "Silent Assassin", in which you assassinate the targets as cleanly and quietly as possible, and draw no unnecessary attention to yourself (blow your cover, leave no extra bodies, etc.), is the best rating possible on all missions.

Plot:

The game begins with a flashback at a Baltimore amusement park, where dozens die in an accident caused by negligent maintenance of a ferris wheel. The father of one of the victims calls the Agency and orders a hit on the park owner, who was cleared of all charges. 47, on the run from competitors from Europe, carries out the hit; following that assignment, he receives a string of contracts from American clients eager to hire the legendary hitman.

The bulk of the game takes place as flashback sequences that occur concordant to the present day, in which a reporter and the former FBI Director, Leland "Jack" Alexander, discuss 47's hits over the past two years (2004-2005) and his involvement in the whole thing. The reporter arranged to interview Alexander concerning a recent attack on the White House (an important plot point). It quickly becomes clear that Alexander's real intent is to discuss 47. As the story progresses, the Agency's employees are said to be being systematically eliminated by an albino clone, a super-assassin dispatched by a western counterpart to the Agency called "The Franchise"; the situation degrades to the point where Diana informs 47 that they are the only ones left.

Diana closes down the Agency with a final contract to kill the assassins coming after them. After the assignment, 47 is approached by an old acquaintance, a CIA agent named Smith, who 47 rescued in the Flatline mission (as well as at least twice in every other game in the series). He approaches 47 with a high-profile mission, paid for using several million dollars worth of diamonds. There is a reason why the payout is particularly generous; the targets are The Franchise's clone assassin, Mark Parchezzi III, and the Vice President of the United States, Daniel Morris. Both working for the organisation dedicated to monopolising the cloning technology that spawned 47. They intend to assassinate the President before the elections so he may not be re elected and forward his pro-cloning stance, (thereby disabling their ability to monopolise it), as The Franchise and its controlling parent stand to lose their military edge.

As expected, 47 is successful. Hunted by both enemy operatives and the police, he flees to his hideout. Without warning, he is visited by Diana, immediately arousing his suspicion (face-to-face meetings with Diana are highly irregular). Diana claims to know how to shake off the Franchise. As 47 mulls over the folder she hands him, expressing his misgivings as to the likelihood of its success, Diana injects him with a syringe, putting him into a comatose state (her apparent betrayal causes 47 to shout "Bitch!", inciting his only line of verbal aggression in the series). 47's body is surrounded by SWAT members, and Diana, announcing that killing 47 was "surprisingly pleasant," is formally inducted into the Franchise by Leland Alexander, its founder. The story at this point shifts to the present day; 47 is scheduled for cremation so his bone marrow cannot be harnessed by cloning rivals, destroying forever anyone else's chance of producing a non-defective clone. Diana drapes 47's custom Silverballers over his chest during his hasty funeral and kisses him after applying lipstick. It becomes apparent that the "poison" she injected was actually a fake-death serum 47 used in an earlier assignment that induces a death-like hibernative state. Diana's lipstick contains the antidote in it (The same used to retrieve Agent Smith from a rehab clinic in the mission 'Flatline") that must be applied on the lips to revive.

From here, the story may conclude two different ways:

[edit] Ending 1

... is the false ending, in which it is presumed the antidote fails to work, and 47 descends into the crematorium.To obtain this first ending, the player simply does not have do anything as the credits are rolling down.

[edit] Ending 2

...is the true, canonical ending, in which the antidote works and 47 rises up, slaughtering everyone in the church (except Diana, who has already left - apparently locking the gates behind her to prevent witnesses from escaping). To ensure that absolutely no one knows he is still alive, even the innocent reporter and priest are not spared by him. After the ordeal, 47 leaves the funeral. To obtain this second ending, the player must press the movement keys (or rotate the analog stick of the game controller) repeatedly until 47's pulsing health bar reaches maximum while the credits are rolling by.

Sometime after the funeral massacre, Diana is shown to have, possibly, reopened the Agency, which overlooks the Copenhagen harbor. She receives a call from someone referred to as "Your Majesty". The voice cannot be heard, but Diana replies that they can't find a trace of 47. Meanwhile, a briefcase-bearing 47 is at a seedy-looking brothel with a traditionally-dressed Chinese man. He is led offscreen by the man after expressing interest about what he has heard is "in the back". As 47 and the man enter a room, curtains close over the screen.

Controversy:

Despite the fact Blood Money has been said to be the most violent game of the series yet, the magazine ads for the game generated more controversy than the title which spawned them.^[1] The ad that drew the most attention and protest depicted a woman lying on a bed in lingerie, seemingly asleep but with a bullet hole in her forehead.^[2] The caption above the picture read: "Beautifully Executed" a pun regarding the woman's appearance and her fate. Other ads were "Classically Executed", featuring a cellist with a slit throat (matching a Piano wire), "Coldly Executed", showing a body in a freezer, and "Shockingly Executed", depicting a woman in a bath who has been electrocuted by a toaster.

Reviews and awards:

Blood Money received generally favorable reviews upon release, with a Metacritic aggregate score of 81. The title was widely praised for improving previous gameplay issues, but criticised for control issues, faulty collision detection, and poor opponent AI. The 360 version was also picked out for failing to provide the "next-gen experience" expected of the title.

Blood Money was voted Game Of The Year 2006 by BBC Scotland's videoGaiden.